Apparatus and method for removing objects from a forming device

ABSTRACT

An apparatus comprises a forming device for forming objects, a moving arrangement arranged for moving said objects along a path directed from said forming device towards an exit area, passage arrangement for an operating fluid, said passage arrangement being arranged for allowing said objects to be moved towards said exit area at least in a preset portion of said path. A method comprises forming objects, moving said objects along a path directed towards an exit area, and acting on said objects with an operating fluid at least in a preset portion of said path, so as to allow said objects to be moved towards said exit area.

This application is the US national phase of international applicationPCT/EP2003/008848 filed 8 Aug. 2003, which designated the U.S. andclaims priority to MO2003A000122 filed 30 Apr. 2003, the entire contentsof each of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

The invention concerns an apparatus and a method for removing objectsfrom a forming device, in particular for removing caps made of plasticmaterial from a mould in which they have been formed by means ofcompression moulding.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,592 discloses an apparatus for producing capsprovided with a plurality of moulds, each mould comprising a die inwhich a preset amount of plastic material in a fluid or semifluid stateis fed, and further comprising a punch which interacts with the die soas to shape the plastic material in the fluid or semifluid stateaccording to the desired shape of the cap.

When the moulds are opened, a cap remains associated to each punch, thecap being associated to the respective punch near a hollow portion ofsaid cap arranged for engaging with the neck of a bottle.

The caps thus obtained are subsequently removed from the relativepunches so as to fall, under the action of gravity, on an underlyingcircular plate of a transferring carousel.

Here a star-disc, provided with arms that radially protrude from thebody of the disc, directs the caps towards an exit area through a pathalong which the caps are guided by respective side guides.

A drawback of the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,592 is thatthe caps falling on the circular plate of the transferring carousel canbounce and subsequently arrange themselves in an undesired position. Thepossibly bad-positioned caps may prevent the following caps from movingtowards the exit area. When this happens, it is necessary to stop theapparatus and to manually remove the caps from the obstruction zone,which implies a loss of productivity.

Another drawback of the apparatus disclosed above is that said apparatusis suitable only for handling caps having a flat surface on a portion ofsaid caps opposite to the hollow portion which engages the bottle neck.In fact the apparatus according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,592 is soconfigured that each cap faces the circular plate of the transferringcarousel along the surface that is opposite to the above mentionedhollow portion. In order that the cap may rest on the circular platethereby achieving a sufficient stable position, the surface that isopposite to the above mentioned hollow portion must have a flatgeometry. If said surface is not flat, the cap may swing in relation tothe circular plate and reach an undesired position. A further drawbackof the apparatus according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,592 is due to itsquite complicated structure from the constructional and operative pointof view, since the above mentioned apparatus requires a relatively highnumber of mechanical parts, such as for example the star-disc and theguides, which have to be machined and mounted with great precision inorder to work properly.

These parts are subjected to breakage or deformation, particularly ifone or more non properly positioned caps prevent the following caps frommoving towards the exit area, and in the transferring carousel piles ofcaps are created which exert anomalous stresses on the surroundingmechanical components.

Moreover, the star-disc and the guides constitute bulky parts that makedifficult to manually remove the caps from the apparatus when the pathtowards the exit area is obstructed.

Another drawback of the apparatus described above is that it may handleonly caps having an axial dimension above a lower limit. If the axialdimension of the caps is smaller than said lower limit, the star-discacting on the side surface of the caps may collide with mechanicalparts, for example guiding parts, protruding upwards from the circularplate or from the exit area.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,776,388 discloses an apparatus for forming articles froma starch-based composition. The apparatus comprises a plurality ofinterconnected heated moulds, each of which includes a male mould and afemale mould. The formed articles are removed from female mould by aremoving device comprising a rotating drum having a plurality ofrotating arms. The rotating arms are attached to vacuum suction cupsconfigured to remove formed articles from female mould and transfer themonto a conveyor belt.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,292 discloses an apparatus for blow mouldingbottles, comprising a wheel carrying a plurality of moulds and a pickerdevice for removing the bottles from the respective moulds. The pickerdevice comprises a vacuum conveyor made up of a plenum and a movingplastic chain with attached buckets for receiving the bottles.

CH 294509 discloses an apparatus for manufacturing lipsticks, comprisinga first wheel carrying a plurality of moulds in which the lipsticks areformed. A second wheel holds a plurality of supports by means ofsuction. After each lipstick has been formed, it is transferred onto acorresponding support. To this end, a couple of jaws reach a closedposition above the first wheel, thereby defining a conduit for thelipstick. The latter, pushed by an air blast, is removed from the mouldand conveyed onto the support.

JP 06-271057 discloses a rotary table having a plurality of workpositions in a circumferential direction. A box to be printed is put ina work position of the rotary table by a box supply mechanism and iskept adherent to the rotary table by means of suction. The rotary tablesupplies the box to a pad type printer. After being printed, the box isremoved from the rotary table.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,798,422 discloses a ticket reader which has a rotatableturret and a vacuum system for moving tickets between differentstations, one or more of the stations being adapted to provide tickets,one of the stations including a reader for reading the tickets, and aplurality of the stations being adapted to receive the tickets afterthey have been read and interpreted.

EP 0218563 discloses an apparatus for transferring pieces of material,particularly lids, between two mutually movable handling devices. Theapparatus comprises a lid collector provided with a suction-blowmechanism having three arms, which deposits the lid on a suction deviceon an intermittently rotating first conveyor. The lid is kept on thefirst conveyor by suction action and is successively moved to a positionfor leaving the lid to a projection plunge provided on the underside ofa second conveyor and having a suction device for holding the lid.

An object of the invention is to improve the apparatuses and the methodsfor removing objects from a forming device in which said objects havebeen formed.

A further object of the invention is to reduce the risk of obstructingthe path directed towards the exit area of a machine for formingobjects.

A still further object is to obtain an apparatus and a method allowingobjects having a complicated shape to be handled, for example capshaving a non-flat surface on a portion of said caps opposite to thehollow portion which engages the bottle neck. Another object is tosimplify the structure of the apparatuses for forming objects, therebyreducing the number of required mechanical parts and consequentlyimproving construction, mounting, maintenance and operation of suchapparatuses.

A further object of the invention is to obtain an apparatus which mayprocess also objects having a very small axial dimension, and inparticular low caps.

In a first aspect of the invention, an apparatus is provided accordingto independent claim 30.

In a second aspect of the invention, a method is provided comprisingforming objects, moving said objects along a path according toindependent claim 51.

The operating fluid, acting on the objects at least in a preset portionof the path directed towards the exit area, simplifies the movement ofthe objects along said path.

In particular, the operating fluid allows bounces of the objects comingfrom the forming device to be avoided, thus preventing the objects fromreaching an undesired position on the moving arrangement and causingdangerous obstructions. Thus, it is possible to obtain a method and anapparatus having high productivity.

The operating fluid further enables objects having a complicated shapeto be processed, for example a non-flat shape.

Finally, owing to the operating fluid it is possible to avoid complexmechanical moving devices, such as the star-disc or the guides disclosedin U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,592. This improves production, operating andmaintenance of the apparatus according the invention.

The invention will be better disclosed and carried out with reference tothe accompanying drawings, that show some exemplifying and not limitingembodiments thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic and interrupted front view of an apparatus forproducing caps according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a moving arrangement of the apparatus shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged and interrupted cross-section taken along theplane III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a detail of a cross-section as the one in FIG. 3, concerningthe production of an alternative version of caps;

FIG. 5 is a view as the one in FIG. 1, showing an alternative version ofthe apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged and interrupted top view of the apparatus of FIG.5, showing a moving arrangement;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged and interrupted cross-section along the planeVII-VII of FIG. 6.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, an apparatus 1 is shown for producingobjects made of plastic material, for example caps 2 for bottles, bymeans of compression moulding. The apparatus 1 comprises a formingdevice 3 provided with a plurality of moulds 4 that may rotate about avertical axis along a circumference C1, as indicated by the arrow F1 ofFIG. 2. Each mould 4 comprises a die 5 provided with a cavity that isshaped according to the external geometry of the cap 2 to be obtained,and a punch arranged above the die 5 and reproducing the internalgeometry of the cap 2.

Along the path of each mould 4 along the circumference C1, it ispossible to identify a mould feeding step in which a preset amount ofplastic material in a fluid or semifluid state is fed in each die 5, aforming and stabilizing step for forming and stabilizing the cap 2 inthe mould 4, and an unloading step in which the just formed cap 2 isextracted from the mould 4.

During the forming and stabilizing step, the die 5 and the punch arearranged in a closed configuration in which they mutually cooperate forshaping the plastic material according to the desired geometry of thecap 2. On the contrary, in the mould feeding step and in the unloadingstep the die 5 and the punch are arranged in an open configuration, inwhich they are at a certain mutual distance so as to allow the plasticmaterial to be introduced into the mould 4 and the just formed cap 2 tobe removed from the mould 4.

In particular, the mould feeding step and the unloading step occursubstantially simultaneously because, while the just formed cap 2 isremoved from the punch, a dose of plastic material in a fluid orsemifluid state is fed into the underlying die 5. This takes place whenthe mould is in the first position P indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

At the end of the forming step, the cap 2 is removed from the punch, forexample by exerting an extraction pressure, and delivered to a movingarrangement arranged for moving each cap 2 towards an exit area of theapparatus 1.

The moving arrangement comprises a transferring wheel 6 which may rotateabout a first vertical axis Z, and on which each cap 2 falls from theabove punch, under the effect of gravity.

As shown in detail in FIG. 3, the transferring wheel 6 comprises a ring7 suitable for receiving the end surface of the caps 2 that is oppositeto the hollow portion of said caps in which the bottle neck has to beinserted. The ring 7 is fixed to a circular plate 8 that is in turnconnected, by means of a lid 9, to the end of a shaft 10 extending alongthe first axis Z. The shaft 10 is rotatably supported by bearings 11 andit is rotated by means of a gear 12, which is in turn operated by meansof a further gear 13 that is rotated by means of a belt 14, as shown inFIG. 1.

At the lower surface of the circular plate 8 a plurality of cups 15 isfixed. Each cup 15 can comprise, for example, a member having a U-shapedsection taken along a plane orthogonal to the first axis Z. The cup 15can have any other different shape that is suitable for receiving theplastic material which will form the caps 2.

The cups 15 rotate together with the circular plate 8 and define acircular path along which they interact with an extruder, not shown,provided with an upwards directed mouth from which plastic material in afluid or semifluid state exits. When a cup 15 passes above the extruder,it takes away from the latter a prefixed amount of plastic materialwhich, due to its pasty consistency, adheres to the walls of the cup 15.When the cup 15, during its movement along the circular path around thefirst axis Z, reaches the first position P above an empty die 5, acompressed air blast detaches the plastic material from the abovementioned cup and causes the plastic material to fall in the underlyingdie 5. The compressed air is sent to each cup by means of a passage 16obtained in the circular plate 8 and communicating with the externalenvironment by means of a plurality of further passages 17 obtained inan upper portion of the cup 15.

A first suction device is associated to the transferring wheel 6, saidfirst suction device comprising a plurality of radial conduits 18obtained in the thickness of the circular plate 8, and communicatingwith the external environment by means of respective through holes 19vertically extending through the circular plate 8 and the ring 7. On theupper surface of the ring 7, at each through hole 19, a spot-facing 20can be provided, said spot-facing being arranged for receiving the endsurface of a cap 2 that is opposite to the hollow portion of the samecap.

The radial conduits 18 may be selectively connected to a vacuum pump,not shown, by means of a distributor 22, that is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.The distributor 22 has an annular shape and is provided with a slot 23extending along the distributor 22 for an angular extension that isslightly greater than 90°. The distributor 22 is fixed to the lowersurface of an annular element 24 housed in a groove 25 obtained in afurther annular element 26. The latter is arranged in a fixed positionon the apparatus 1 and supports the external rings of two furtherbearings 27, on which the lid 9 is mounted. Thus the lid 9, fixed to theshaft 10 by means of a spline 28, may rotate in relation to the annularelement 24, to the further annular element 26 and to the distributor 22,thereby dragging in rotation the circular plate 8 and the ring 7.

A pneumatic connector 21, connected to the annular element 24 and to thefurther annular element 26, enables the distributor 22 to be connectedto the vacuum pump.

When the circular plate 8 and the ring 7, which is fixed to saidcircular plate, rotate about the first axis Z in the direction of thearrow F2 shown in FIG. 2, the distributor 22 connects the radialconduits 18 to the vacuum pump along a suction section A, which ishatched in FIG. 2 and has an angular length slightly greater than 90°.In particular, each radial conduit 18 is connected to the vacuum pumpjust before the relative spot-facing 20 reaches the first position P,and it is isolated from this pump near a second position Q in which thetransferring wheel 6 interacts with an evacuation wheel 29 arranged fortransporting the caps 2 towards an exit area of the apparatus 1.

When, in the first position P, a cap 2 which has been removed from therelative punch falls under gravity onto the transferring wheel 6, saidcap is kept adherent to the ring 7 near the respective spot-facing 20,owing to the suction acting along the section A.

The cap 2, firmly associated to the ring 7 by means of suction, is movedtogether with the transferring wheel 6 for an angular distance of about90°, until said cap reaches the second position Q in which it iscollected by the evacuation wheel 29.

The latter may rotate about a second axis Y, parallel to the first axisZ and therefore vertical, in a rotation direction opposite to therotation direction of the transferring wheel 6, as indicated by thearrow F3 of FIG. 2. The evacuation wheel 29 is arranged at the upper endof a vertical support 34 fixed to a frame of the apparatus 1. Anon-shown shaft extends inside the vertical support 34, said shaftenabling the evacuation wheel 29 to rotate owing to a known drivingdevice. The driving device that actuates the evacuation wheel 29 mayalso move the belt 14, by means of which movement is transmitted to thetransferring wheel 6.

The evacuation wheel 29 comprises a star-disc 30 provided with aplurality of radial arms 31, each radial arm being provided with a frontedge 32 arranged for interacting with a cap 2 in order to remove saidcap from the transferring wheel 6 and direct said cap along anarc-shaped transfer plane 33.

The evacuation wheel 29 interacts with the transferring wheel 6 near thesecond position Q, in which the suction section A on the transferringwheel 6 ends. In such position, the cap 2 is merely resting on the ring7, no additional force maintaining the cap 2 in contact with the abovementioned ring. The corresponding radial arm 31 of the star-disc 30 maytherefore easily remove the cap 2 from the transferring wheel 6 by meansof mechanical action and direct said cap along the arc-shaped transferplane 33 until the cap 2 reaches a belt conveyor 35 that conveys eachcap 2 towards the exit of the apparatus 1 in the direction of the arrowF4.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the star-disc 30 is provided with eightradial arms 31, corresponding to the eight spot-facings 20 and to theeight radial conduits 18 of the transfer wheel 6. Nevertheless,according to the machine type and to the desired speed, it is possibleto provide a different number of radial arms 31, of spot-facings 20 andof radial conduits 18. The apparatus 1 further comprises a S-shapedguide 37 arranged for guiding the caps 2 in their path towards the beltconveyor 35. The guide 37 is fixed to a central zone of the transferringwheel 6 and it is provided with an end extending along the arc-shapedtransfer plane 33.

The first suction device, associated with the upper surface of thetransferring wheel 6, enables the caps 2 to be kept adherent to the ring7 during their path towards the evacuation wheel 29. In particular, wheneach cap 2 is removed from the corresponding punch, the first suctiondevice exerts on such cap an attractive force directed towards thetransferring wheel 6, said attractive force making easier removing thecap 2 from the punch.

Furthermore, owing to the first suction device it is possible to preventthe caps 2 from bouncing on the transferring wheel 6 when falling fromthe upper punch. Thus, the risk of jams in the apparatus 1 due to anincorrect positioning of the caps 2 which bounce on the transferringwheel 6 is strongly reduced.

The first suction device also assures that the caps 2 remain in thecorrect position on the transferring wheel 6 during their path towardsthe evacuation wheel 29.

It is to be noted that the transferring wheel 6 and the evacuation wheel29 can handle caps 2 having mutually different dimensions and/or shapeswithout requiring size parts to be replaced. In fact, suction occurringover the spot-facings 20 enables caps 2 having different sizes to bekept adherent to the transferring wheel 6. This allows the re-equipmenttime of the apparatus 1 to be reduced, said re-equipment time beingnecessary for enabling such apparatus to pass from production of caps 2of a specific dimensional range to production of caps 2 of a furtherdimensional range.

As shown in detail, in FIG. 4, the apparatus according to the inventionis suitable for handling objects, for example caps, having a quitecomplex shape. In the case in point, it is shown a cap 2′ having aconvex surface 138 delimiting the cap 2′ in its end portion that isopposite to the hollow portion suitable for engaging with the bottleneck.

The cap 2′ can be easily kept adherent to the transferring wheel 6 bymeans of the first suction device, by merely providing the ring 7 with aplurality of seats 50 having a shape corresponding to the geometry ofthe cap 2′. The seats 50 communicate with the radial conduits 18 throughthe holes 19 and can be provided with respective spot-facings 20.

When the cap 2′ is removed from the punch, said cap falls onto a seat 50and shapingly engages with said seat. Owing to suction exerted throughthe radial conduits 18, the cap 2′ is prevented from leaving the seat50.

With reference to FIGS. 5 to 7, an alternative embodiment of theapparatus 1 is shown, said alternative embodiment differing from theembodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3 for the structure of the evacuation wheel 29.The forming device 3 and the transferring wheel 6 have a structuresimilar to that previously described.

The evacuation wheel 29 according to FIGS. 5 to 7 comprises a disc 38fixed to a further lid 39 coupled to a further shaft 40 by means of afurther spline 41. The further shaft 40 extends along the second axis Yinside the vertical support 34 and it is operated by a known drivingdevice.

A second suction device is associated with the evacuation wheel 29, saidsecond suction device comprising a plurality of further radial conduits42 obtained in the thickness of the disc 38 and ending at furtherthrough holes 43 arranged in exit areas on the lower surface of the disc38. Around each further through hole 43 a further spot-facing 44 can beprovided, said further spot-facing 44 being obtained on the lowersurface of the disc 38.

The further radial conduits 42 can be connected to a suction sourcethrough a further distributor 45 comprising a body having an annularshape that is positioned under the disc 38. The further distributor 45is provided with a further through slot 46 extending along an angle ofabout 120° and is fixed to a support member 47 mounted around thefurther shaft 40, with interposition of a bushing 48. The support member47 is further connected to a plate 49 fixed to the vertical support 34.Therefore, when the disc 38 rotates the further distributor 45 remainsin a fixed position on the apparatus 1.

Each exit area arranged around the further through hole 43 of the disc38 communicates with the suction source along a portion of the patharound the second axis Y that corresponds to a further suction sectionA′, hatched in FIG. 6. More in particular, by means of the furtherdistributor 45 each exit area is connected to the suction source whenthe evacuation wheel 29 interacts with the transferring wheel 6 in thesecond position Q, and is isolated from the suction source in a thirdposition R in which the exit area is over the belt conveyor 35. Inoperation, in the second position Q each cap 2, initially arranged onthe transferring wheel 6, is collected by the evacuation wheel 29 bymeans of suction exerted through the further through holes 43. The cap2, which is no more retained on the transferring wheel 6 by suctionbecause suction ends near the second position Q, adheres to the lowersurface of the disc 38 at the end surface of the cap arranged forengaging with the bottle neck and is moved together with such disc untilit reaches the third position R. In this position, suction through thefurther conduits 42 ends and the cap 2 stops adhering to the disc 38,thereby falling by gravity on the underlying belt conveyor 35.

The disc 38 provided with a second suction device may replace thestar-disc 30, which allows the structure of the evacuation wheel 29 tobe significantly simplified. In fact, it is no more necessary to providea plurality of radial arms having large overall dimensions and causing acomplicated access to the evacuation wheel 29. Furthermore,pneumatically transporting the caps 2 enables the risks of damaging thecaps 2 during transport to be reduced. On the other hand, such risks arequite high in case of transport by means of mechanical elements pushingthe caps 2 along the desired path.

Owing to the second suction device, the evacuation wheel 29 furtherallows caps 2 having different dimensions and/or shape to betransported, without replacing size parts.

Furthermore the evacuation wheel 29 is suitable for processing caps 2having also irregular shapes, in particular caps delimited by a non-flatsurface on the portion of said caps opposite to the hollow portionarranged for engaging with the bottle neck.

Owing to the second suction device the apparatus 1 may furthermorehandle very low caps, i.e. caps having a particularly small axialdimension that cannot be processed by the known star-discs. In fact, theevacuating wheel 29 associated with the second suction device is notprovided with mechanical parts which, while acting on the side surfaceof the caps 2, could bump against other parts of the apparatus. Thesecond suction device allows the evacuating wheel 29 to act only on thehollow portion of the caps 2, thereby preventing any collision againstadjacent parts.

It is to be noted that the evacuation wheel 29 provided with the secondsuction device can be used also in combination with a transferring wheel6 of the known type, i.e. without the first suction device.

The apparatus 1 disclosed above can be used not only for processing caps2, but also for processing other kinds of objects, for example cups,items provided with an axial symmetry, or in general articles that canbe obtained by moulding.

1. Apparatus comprising: a forming device for compression moulding ofcaps made of plastic material, said forming device being provided with aplurality of moulds that rotate about a vertical axis along acircumference, each mould comprising a die provided with a cavity thatis shaped according to the external geometry of a cap, and a puncharranged above the die and adapted to reproduce the internal geometry ofsaid cap; a transferring wheel arranged for receiving said caps fromsaid forming device, said transferring wheel being located below saidpunches, each cap being removed from a punch and delivered to thetransferring wheel, wherein each cap being adapted to fall from therespected punch on the transferring wheel, said transferring wheel beingconfigured to receive an end surface of each cap that is opposite to ahollow portion of the cap in which a bottle neck has to be inserted; anevacuation wheel arranged for transferring said caps from saidtransferring wheel to an exit zone; a first suction device arranged forkeeping said caps associated with said transferring wheel along asuction section comprised between a collecting position of said capsfrom said forming device and a delivering position of said caps to saidevacuation wheel, said first suction device comprising a first passagethrough which an operating fluid is conveyable, said first passagepassing through a plate portion of said transferring wheel and leadingout on a surface of said plate portion for keeping said caps adherent tosaid plate portion at least along said suction section, wherein saidsurface comprises an upper surface of said transferring wheel, a secondsuction device arranged for keeping said caps associated with saidevacuation wheel along a further suction section comprised between saiddelivering position and said exit zone, said second suction devicecomprising a second passage through which an operating fluid isconveyable, said second passage passing through a further plate portionof said evacuation wheel and leading out on a further surface of saidfurther plate portion for keeping said caps adherent to said furtherplate portion at least along said further suction section, said furthersurface being opposite to said surface at least in said deliveringposition, said further surface comprising a lower surface of saidevacuation wheel to which the cap adheres at a further end surface ofthe cap opposite said end surface, at least one of said first and secondpassages ending on at least one wheel of said transferring andevacuation wheels near a seat for said caps.
 2. Apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein said first suction device comprises a distributorelement arranged for selectively connecting said first passage with asuction source.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said firstpassage is obtained in a disc of said transferring wheel, said discbeing rotatably movable in relation to said distributor element around apreset axis.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said distributorelement is provided with a slot communicating with said suction source.5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said slot extends along acircular section arranged around said preset axis.
 6. Apparatusaccording to claim 5, wherein said first passage is provided with an endfacing said distributor element at a distance from said preset axis thatis substantially equal to a radius of said circular section. 7.Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said first passage comprises atleast one conduit radially extending through said disc.
 8. Apparatusaccording to claim 7, wherein said at least one conduit is included in aplurality of conduits which are angularly equidistant on said disc. 9.Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second suction devicecomprises a further distributor element arranged for selectivelyconnecting said second passage with a suction source.
 10. Apparatusaccording to claim 9, wherein said second passage is obtained in afurther disc of said evacuation wheel, said further disc being rotatablymovable in relation to said further distributor element around a presetaxis.
 11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said furtherdistributor element is provided with a further slot communicating withsaid suction source.
 12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein saidfurther slot extends along a circular section arranged around saidpreset axis.
 13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said secondpassage is provided with an end facing said further distributor elementat a distance from said preset axis that is substantially equal to aradius of said circular section.
 14. Apparatus according to claim 9,wherein said second passage comprises at least one further conduitradially extending through said further disc.
 15. Apparatus according toclaim 14, wherein said at least one further conduit is included in aplurality of further conduits which are angularly equidistant on saidfurther disc.
 16. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein saidevacuation wheel comprises a star-disc provided with a plurality ofradial arms arranged for pushing said caps from said transferring wheelto said exit zone.
 17. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in saidexit zone a conveyor device is provided, said conveyor device beingarranged for removing said caps from said evacuation wheel. 18.Apparatus according to claim 1, and further comprising at least onespot-facing at which at least one passage of said first and secondpassages ends on an external surface of at least one wheel of saidtransferring and evacuation wheels.